With Sanjay Nirupam accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the Indian Army’s recent ‘surgical strikes’ for political gain, the saffron party on Wednesday questioned the former’s credentials for questioning the integrity of the government.

It described Nirupam’s demand as the cheapest form of publicity for self gain resorted to by a senior Congress leader.

“What credentials does Sanjay Nirupam have to question the government? Does he suggest that he is questioning the integrity of Prime Minister Modi and the Indian Government? Does he suggest that he is against all political parties and his own party, where everyone stands united in this fight against terror?” BJP leader Shaina NC told media.

“If he does, I think it is the cheapest form of publicity for self gain,” she added. On Tuesday, Nirupam controversially raised doubts about the strikes.

“Every Indian wants #SurgicalStrikesAgainstPak but not a fake one to extract just political benefit by #BJP,” he tweeted.

Attacked for the comment, he later clarified, “I’m not saying you release all video footage, I don’t think so either… as it may not be in the interest of national security… but there is a need to show some proof.”

The Congress Party, however, distanced itself from his comment, saying that the surgical strikes that took place on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) were not fake.

Asserting that Congress has full trust on the Indian Army, party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the grand old party has taken cognizance of Nirupam’s comment.

“Congress doesn’t agree with the statements made by Sanjay Nirupam, we have taken a serious note of it,” said Surjewala.

“The Congress fully trusts the Indian Army,” he added.

Surjewala further advised the Government of India to share the evidences it has in regard with the surgical strikes.

“It is time that Government of India unmasks Pakistan’s false propaganda by revealing and making public the evidences we have,” he said.

Seven terror launch pads across the LoC were targeted by the Indian Army on the night of 28 September in a nearly five-hour-long operation during which heli-borne and ground forces were deployed.

The announcement of the strikes came 11 days after the attack by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad on an Indian army camp in Uri in Kashmir, after which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the attackers will not go “unpunished” and that they will not be forgiven.